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WILLIAM nQwATsoN, OF ew YORK, N. Y.

Lette'rsPatent Nb. 74,777, datccll ebruary 25, 1868.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H; WATSON, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction and Operation of Machines for Pressing. and Sheeting Tobacco and other substances; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and correct description of my invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and to the letters ofrcference marked thereon, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine for pressing and sheeting tobacco.

Figure 2 is a top view of the same.

Figure 3 is a side sectional elevation of the same.

In-the drawings, like parts of the invention are pointed out by the same letters of reference.

The nature of my invention consists in certain improvements, as more fully hereinafter set forth, in the construction and operation of a machine for sheeting and pressing tobacco, and other substances.

To enable those skilled in the arts to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation. I r l A is a frame of iron or any suitable metal for supporting the operative parts of my machine, and B is the main or driving-shaft, having its bearing in the frame This shaft supports the main or principal cylinder, C. At the opposite end of the frame A is placed a smaller cylinder,'D, supported upon ashaft, (Z, which shaft is held in the plates e, moving freely in the lugsfuponthe side of the frame A. Against the rear end of the plates e, the upper ends of the levers y, pivoted to the frame A, bear or press. To the lower ends of these levers are attached the springs 72, their opposite ends being attached to the pins 2', in the sides of the frame A, or a screw may be substituted for the spring, or for the spring and lever. Over the cylinders G and D run the endless belts L, made of steel, brass, or, any material suitable 'forthe purpose. Above, and slightly behind the cylinder 0, is placed a. cylinder, C,.supported upon a shaft, B having its bearings in'the projecting side-pieces of the frame A. I). is a cylinder, placed in line with the cylinder 0, which cylinder is supported upon a shaft,- d held in the plates 0 moving freely in the lugs f upon the side of the frame A, Against the. rear ends of these plates e the upper ends of the levers g pivoted and operated as are the levers g, bear or press. Below the main cylinder G, and slightly behind the same, so that it shall be directly, or nearly so, in a line with the V cylinder 0 is placed a cylinder, F, hung upon a shaft, K, having its hearings in the sides of the frame A. Over the cylinders C D and F pass the endless belts G, constructed like the endless belts E. These belts E and G, when placed in the machine, are but a slight distance apart, and the space below the belts E, and between the sides of the frame A, may be filled by a table extending from the cylinder '1) to the cylinder 0. Upon the sides of the frame A, and passing over the pulleys 6, held upon proper supports, are the side belts L, formed of steel, brass, or any suitable material. The shafts upon which are these pulleys, may be connected by gearing to the shafts of the cylinders D or C and the side belts be thus operated. Upon the maincylinder C are the slitting-knives, for slitting the tobacco while under pressure. These knives consist of circular plates of metal placed upon the cylinder 0, beyond the face of which they project, the cylinder 1) being grooved to accommodate these projecting plates ofmetal, employed to slit or out the tobacco while under pressure. The cylinders G, C, and F are made slightly convex, for the purpose of making the edge of the pressed sheet a little thicker than the middle, thus giving armore perfect edge to the pressed material. I

Such being the construction of my machine, its operation is as follows: The main shaft may be connected to any convenient motor, and set in motion; as it revolves it carries with it the cylinders C, which it supports, by which motion is imparted to the belts E and G. The tobacco or similar substance to be pressed or sheeted is fed in upon the-belts E, at the rear of the machine, and is carried along by the same, assisted by the side belts L, until it nearly reaches the cylinder 0. At this point it is received between the belts E and G, and as it is carried forward by and between the same, it is firmly and thoroughly pressed and united, and this operation is continued until the belts and tobacco or other substance reach the cylinder F, when the tobacco or other substance is discharged in a continuous sheet or strip. While the tobacco is carriedbetween the belts and is being pressed, the circular knives upon the main cylinder slit or cut the same, entering, after they pass through the tobacco, into the grooves upon the bylinder D The peculiar construction of the plates e e and lugsff, aided by the levers g g, guards against any tendency of the belts to sag or lose their rigidity, and. at the same time enables the operator to increase the pressure upon the tobacco or other substance to be pressed, by throwing forward, when necessary, the cylinder D and thus tightening the belt G, which, as already stated, passes over the same. One or all the slitting-lcnives 'may be removed from the cylinder C, when one feeding and one pressingbelt of any required width may be employed. 1 l

Metallic belts, such as I employ in the present case, are superior to leather, India rubber, or belts made of like materials, when used as pressing-surfaces; theywill be found to be less elastic, more durable, and to present a smoother and more perfect surface to the material being pressed, and will not, as in the case of the other belts cited, grind, break, or crush the tobacco as it passes between them. While the cylinders are shown made in sections, Iprefer in all cases that these cylinders should be made ofone entire piece. When desired, the belt G and cylinder Cmay be used as pressing-surfaces, in which case the belt E may be used simply as a feeding-surface, to feed or supply thetobacco to the cylinder 0 and belt G, in which case the belt E, instead of passing over the cylinders D and C, would pass over the cylinder D, and a roller placed directly behind, and on a level with the main cylinder 0. i

Having thus described my present invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. I claim the combination of two or more endless metallic, belts, constructed substantially as described,

for the purpose specified.

2. I claim the combination of the side belts with the same, for the. purposc 'specified. 3. I claim slitting or cutting, the tobacco while underpressure, substantially'as shown. 4. I claim adjusting the cylinders D and D substantially as shown, for the purposes-indicated.

. H. WATSON.

=Witnesses:

A. SIDNEY DOANE, JAS. H. THAYER. 

